A 772 Horsepower Big-Block Powered Work of Art

February 2nd, 2011

Text by Travis Noack

Photos by Brandon Burrell

RK-Collection-Tom Farrell, 1969 Camaro Convertible, Concord, NC

The best part about owning a high performance muscle car is sliding into the seat, cranking the key, hearing the rumble exit the pipes, and mashing the gas as the rear tires feverishly search for traction as their grip is no match for the fire breather you’ve got under the hood. For the crew at the RK-Collection in Concord, North Carolina, the injected big-block powered pro touring ’69 Camaro convertible radiating off of these pages was an investment in potential. The RK crew wanted to see how far they could and would go to create the ultimate pro touring ’69 with power, style, detail and craftsmanship rounding every curve and corner of this handcrafted pavement pounder.

Like any piece of art the Camaro was not created by one man but by a whole team who dove head first into the project. The staff of the RK-Collection includes Ron Kauffman, Tom Farrell (fabricator/designer), Rich Kraus (president), Hugo Tinajero (fabricator), Nick Sherwood (fabricator) Wally Roberts (engine builder), Gary Volpicelli (Camaro expert), Vic Maguire (wiring), Tyler Walker (painter/bodywork), Corey Rupp (mechanic), Katie Morgan Rupp (administrative assistant) and Marcia Aguilano (office manager). A special thanks also goes out to Hot Rod Interiors of Mooresville, North Carolina, for crafting the trick threads as Chuck Hanna and Darrel Pressley outdid themselves on the insane cockpit of the Camaro. This tightly chiseled and deeply fabricated muscle car took approximately 18 months to build and with a stack of awards under its belt in just the first show season the car is definitely forcing other Camaro builders to bust out their note pads. Check out all the details on this amazing custom ’69 Ragtop Camaro. For all of the specs visit the Fast Facts Column.

The underside of the Camaro is just as detailed and polished as the topside. The modern G-machine chassis and suspension help toss down all 772 horses and 758 lb-ft of torque to the asphalt.

A detailed, injected 772-hp Dart aluminum Race series big-block is topped with Hilborn fuel injection. Linked to a TKO-600 five-speed and 9-inch Ford rear nd stuffed with Strange axles this modernized Rat will definitely bury your spine in the seat. Wally Roberts built this asphalt terror.

Hot Rod Interiors pulled out all the stops on the Camaro’s guts. Darrel Pressley custom formed the door panels, rear panels and rear seat and covered them in two-tone leather. The front seats are Cerullo and were covered in the same pattern of two-tone leather. The roll bar pad was hand-stitched in leather by Chuck Hanna. The crew at RK retrofitted a ’68 Camaro dash into the ’69 cockpit and built a custom center console from aluminum. Other one-off features between the doors include an aluminum shifter with carbon fiber two-piece ball design and custom aluminum floor-mounted pedals. A stock Camaro steering wheel sits atop an ididit column commanding a Uni-Steer electronic assist steering system. A Vintage Air A/C system keeps top down temps in check.

Hot Rod Interiors pulled out all the stops on the Camaro’s guts. Darrel Pressley custom formed the door panels, rear panels and rear seat and covered them in two-tone leather. The front seats are Cerullo and were covered in the same pattern of two-tone leather. The roll bar pad was hand-stitched in leather by Chuck Hanna. The crew at RK retrofitted a ’68 Camaro dash into the ’69 cockpit and built a custom center console from aluminum. Other one-off features between the doors include an aluminum shifter with carbon fiber two-piece ball design and custom aluminum floor-mounted pedals. A stock Camaro steering wheel sits atop an ididit column commanding a Uni-Steer electronic assist steering system. A Vintage Air A/C system keeps top down temps in check.

Tilton floor-mounted pedals with reservoirs mounted in the firewall take the abuse when the big-block lights off and the hammer is shoved into high gear.

Hot Rod Interiors pulled out all the stops on the Camaro’s guts. Darrel Pressley custom formed the door panels, rear panels and rear seat and covered them in two-tone leather. The front seats are Cerullo and were covered in the same pattern of two-tone leather. The roll bar pad was hand-stitched in leather by Chuck Hanna. The crew at RK retrofitted a ’68 Camaro dash into the ’69 cockpit and built a custom center console from aluminum. Other one-off features between the doors include an aluminum shifter with carbon fiber two-piece ball design and custom aluminum floor-mounted pedals. A stock Camaro steering wheel sits atop an ididit column commanding a Uni-Steer electronic assist steering system. A Vintage Air A/C system keeps top down temps in check.

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